Page 38 - Yanks reviews

Motor Sport magazine extract, June 20, 2019 / page 2
Aston Martin had brought its updated DBR1; Ferrari the new 250 Testa Rossa; and Jaguar was back with its ageing D-type. The scene was set for an almighty battle, but the 1958 Le Mans 24 Hour race looked to be over by the first lap, as Stirling Moss stormed into a commanding lead.
Two hours in, however, the race changed dramatically. As Moss’ engine expired, forcing the car’s retirement, a downpour began, which set the scene for a heroic drive from Phil Hill. In the early hours of the morning, the American pulled out a lead of a lap and a half. By the end of the race, the Ferrari was 100 miles clear of the second-placed Aston Martin.
Hill’s Le Mans victory — with co-driver Olivier Gendebien — was the first for an American driver, after 35 years of US entries.
The transatlantic appeal of the French endurance race is told in a new book, Twice Around the Clock: The Yanks at Le Mans. In our first extract from the three-volume set, Denise McCluggage, a journalist and racing driver, reveals the sneaky plan hatched by her and Hill, ahead of the 1958 season, that would give him an edge over the competition. At least it was meant to...
Extract from Twice Around the Clock: The Yanks at Le Mans